Finding parts

LOTUS111

MEMBER
CHEVROLET ASTRO

Hi all
My car is a Astro EXT AWD, 4.3 V6, 1991, 100000m
(repair history is too long for listing it here)
I have problems for getting some new gaiters for the cardan-shaft (middle diff to front diff)
My local chevy dealer (Switzerland) was telling me they are just sold complete with shaft. But the complete shaft is no more available.
Do you may know a gaiter wich works on this?
I have tried a Ford gaiter for drive shafts, but it's broken after 20 miles or driving at higher speeds like 60mph.
Thank you very much for helping me to bring the car on the road again.

3 Replies

SERVICE WRITER

MECHANIC
9,123 POSTS

I hate to sound uninformed. But what's a "gaiter"
As far as I know they have long snouts, long tail and big teeth!

Universal joint?

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Thursday, October 18th, 2007 AT 12:33 PM

LOTUS111

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Hi Paul

It's more a technical thing than a animal. Problem here could be the small differences between UK and US.
I mean the rubber part that saves the grease in the joint. The problem with driveshaft gaiters is the speed of the rotation. The cardan-shaft will rotate three times faster then the drivshaft to the wheel.
As faster I drive as bigger will be the gaiter until it will be in contact with the transmission housing at the rear end and at the exhaust at the font end. At this point a big vibration is shaking the car hardly.
Thanks for reply
Bruno